Rope fire-escape



(No Model.)

h R. P. LOVEJOY.

ROPE FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 387,650. Patented Aug. 14, 1888.

N. PETERS. PhowLilhngnpher. washington, D c.

Unire rares FFICEQ ROPE FlRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,650, dated August 14, 1888.

Application tiled November Q5, 1887. Serial No. 256,096.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUssnLL I). Lovniov, a citizen of the United States, residing at Carthage, inthe county of Jefferson and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rope Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in Which-- Figure l is a view looking down upon the hand-lever side of the sliding tube inclesing the rope. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the lever and tube.

Similar letters refer to similar drawings.

My invention has reference to that class of portable or detachable apparatus for escape from buildings on re, in which the person is dependent upon a rope, cord, or wire secured at one end to some sufficiently secure attachment within the structure from which escape is to be made, the opposite end reaching the ground or place of safety.

The invention specially relates to a device by which the person so escaping has the rate ol' motion and descent entirely under his control, and so easily and perfectly at command that the merest child can govern and control the action of the apparatus with the greatest ease and safety.

In the drawings, B represents the rope escape dropped from the point of escape to the ground and made fast at its upper end, as may be convenient. Encircling the rope and sliding freely thereon, when left to itself, is the tubular device A A, having each end sufficiently enlarged or trumpetshaped to avoid fraying the rope which it embraces. This tube is made in twolongitudinal sections, each furnished with a pair of small cars, c c, near each end, which serve, when the sectionsv are in place, as retainers for the screws, binding the sections together. Another but much larger pair of perforated ears is placed about the center of each of the sections, which, as the same are in place, constitute a pairof stout rings,K Ii,to which may be attached astrong loop of rope or webbing of sufficient length to form a swing encircling the body'of the person using the device. One section of the tube parts in both (No model.)

is enlarged at D D near the ends, and Within these depressions are one or more transverse ridges or blunt angular projections, as at d d, the inner apices of said ridges being about on aline with the internal diameter of the cylindrical portion of the tube. Opposite these sets of projections the companion section is arranged with couical-shaped chambers EandE,

one ofthese,E,being tapped and furnished with the thumb-screw G. Vithin the chamber there is a loosely-fitting saddle-block, F, against the outer surface of which the end of the thumbscrew G is made to engage, and by which the position of the saddle-block is controlled and governed. Vhen thrown forward from the crown of the chamber, the space between the concave and rounding face of the block and the ridges within the part D is constricted. Within the other compartment, E, is a similar saddlebloek, I; but this is furnished with a stout stem passing through a suitable opening in the crown of the compartment, and is eX- tended so as to pass through a mortise in the lever H. This lever has its bearing at one end in a projection, J, upon the end of the tube and turning upon the fulcrum-bolt h, the opposite end of the lever being extended nearly to the screw G and fashioned to engage the thumb of the party using the device.

Operation: Vhen in service, the party using the device first makes one end of the rope B, upon which the tubular mechanism slides, se cure to some safe attachment, the other end of the rope being dropped to the ground beneath. The swing, secured to the rings Ii K,is adj usted about the body, so that it constitutes a seat, and bringing the tubular device about opposite the breast or chin and with the lever H toward the person. The saddle-block F is now to be forced against the surface of the rope by the screw G until the projections dal engage the opposite side of the rope with suliicient friction to about counterbalance the weight of the person depending from the attached swing. With this adjustment made, the party,grasp ing the device in the right hand and with the thumb upon the lever H, now swings off the window or place from which to escape, passes gently down the rope, the rate 0f descent being entirely governed by the amount IOO of pressure placed upon the block I through the lever H as the rope passes the opposing ridges d d, snperadded to the adjusted bearing of the block F. So complete is this control that if the rope is of reasonably even size the adjustment may be made so nicely that but a very light pressure upon the lever will be suilieient to retard or entirely stop the descent of the person, giving the party full control of his motion. Should it be necessary to swing clear of smoke or dames from lower' windows, parties on the ground can carry the lower extremity of the rope some distance away from the building, which will take the occupant of the escape out of reach of the ascending smoke or Haine.

It matters little which end ol' the tubular device is up, as it works equally well either way on the rope. If it is desired, aparty remain ing in the building after one has made the de scent can haul the rope back with the swing, and untying what was the fast end secures in its place that which was the ground or free end, and throwing the other back to the ground may safely descend with brake device reversed.

l. In a rope recscape, the special device encircling the rope, wire, or cable, consisting of the hollow tubular device A A,with trumpets-shaped ends, the enlarged portions I) D, with the frietional bearing-ridges d d, antagonized by the adjusab-e bearing-saddlesFand I, the former being controlled by the thumbscrew G and the latter actuated by and under the control of the thumb-lever H, as shown and described.

2. A tubular device in two longitudinalseetions, each having three pairs of dat perforated proj eetions, one pair near each end, which shall serve for receiving retainingr screws or rivets7 binding the sections together, while the third and inuch larger pair are near the center' and constitute, when the sections are together, a pair of stout rings for the attachmeut of a loop or swingseat for the occupant of said escape.

RUSS ELL l. LO V EJ'OY.

1Witn csses:

W. T. BUSH, J. C. House. 

